Improvement in adjustable sluiceways



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. MCDONALD, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- EIGHTHSHIS RIGHT TO GEORGE H. PORTER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ADJUSTABLE SLUICEWAYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,337, dated August25, 1874; application filed January 16, 1874.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES L. MCDONALD, of Oil City, Venango county,Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Sluiceway, of which thefollowing is a specification:

The object of my invention is to open a pas sage for boats, rafts, orother floating mate,- rial, through a slack-water dam during high water,without the use of a look, by means of the apron A, held in place andraised and lowered by the apron B B, operated by the chains 0, connectedwith the shaft G. The aprons can be placed at the bottom of a lock or inan opening in the dam provided especially for the purpose.

Figure 1 represents the side elevation without the protecting wall atthe side. Fig. 2 represents the ground plan with part of the aprons cutaway to show the machinery for raising and lowering the aprons. 7

It will be evident that when the water is high enough both below andabove the dam to cover the end M of the apron A when raised to thehighest point, it is only necessary to remove the latch K from theratchet-wheel E, and turn the driving machinery in the direction tounwind the chains 6 from the shaft G, thus letting the apron B move downthe bed P on the roller L until the apron A rests on the bed 0, thusallowing a free passage for boats.

When the water is too low to allow the boats to pass without the use of.a lock, by turning the driving machinery in a direction to Wind thechain (3 around the shaft G, the lower end of the apron B will be drawntoward the shaft, and the end M of the apron A be thereby raised to asufficient height to keep the water above the dam at a depth suitablefor navigation.

A cord or chain, R, is attached to the apron at or near the joint M, andpasses around the shaft G in a direction opposite to that taken by thecords G, so that it will wind upon the said shaft as the cords G unwindtherefrom. The object of the cord or cords R is to draw down the apron AB in case the pressure of the water should not be sufficient to start itwhen the cords G are released, or prevent any reaction of the water fromrendering the gate unsteady.

What I claim as my invention is- I. In combination with the aprons orsections A B of a sluiceway, hinged together and at their upper end, thecord 0, attached to the lower end of the section B, for raising, and thecord R, attached to the apex or point of the sections A B, for loweringthem, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the sections or aprons A B of a sluicewayconstructed substantially as described, and cords O R for operatingthem, the pawl and ratchet-wheel E K, band H, and pulley I, as and forthe purposes described.

3. The combination of the apron or section A, hinged to the bottomsection N, raising apron or section B hinged to the section A. bed P,roller L, operating-ropes G R, attached to the sections A B, and drivingmechanism E K H I, all constructed, arranged, and adapted to operatesubstantially as described.

Witnesses: JAMES L. MCDONALD.

JOHN F. MORRIS, M. PARK DAVIS, S. NEWTON PETTIs.

